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Listen ..
What do you hear? Do you hear music,
the noises of life in general?
Now relax, take a couple of minutes and listen to your thoughts.
Are your thoughts
clear and consice, or are they jumbled and chaotic?
The prince of the power of the air would have your mind filled
with triviality, thoughts of this world, stress, and strife. Thats part of the plan to keep people from knowing The One True
Mighty One. By filling our minds with things of this world the adversary succeeds in blocking our minds from the message.
Mankind
has been receiving a message since our creation. Wether built in, or riding on the air, this message asks us to hear the call
of The Eternal. This call asks the receiver to be aware of The Higher Power and to search for him.
The world today
is filled with religions, with new ones springing up almost daily. These religions either profess a higher power, or reliance
on self.
Are these religions answering the call of the Eternal, or heeding the call of another message?
Idol
worship is one of the Commandments that is barely understood by mankind these days. What do you mean idol worship? Hardly
anyone worships using physical idols these days. Usually those that do are considered to be of a cult or practicing dark arts.
If we look closer at this, can we identify other idols in use today? What about the materialism that runs rampant
these days? Money, jewels, cars, and all kinds of possessions are used as symbols of power and prestige. This self made power
elevates men in their own minds, which usually causes them to think that those of lesser status are inferior to themselves.
Elevating themselves to a god-like status.
What about the use of knowledge and intelligence? Are they used by some
people today to elevate their status and positions. Arent many of these people in positions of power and decision, exercising
control over large groups of people?
Look at the religious leaders of today. Many control or influence the lives of
large groups of people. Determining by their teachings what the followers believe. Bringing in the masses with warm fuzzy,
feel good sermons, or highly intellectual thought provoking teachings. However they do it, they are elevated to a position
of authority and power.
Are these people intentional or unintentional self-made gods? Do they hear a message that tells
them that money, power, and influence is what they should strive for, instead of listening to that nagging message from an
almost unknown Creator?
Can these people be considered idols? Not so much in a literal sense. Lets look at this from
another point of view.
Put yourself in the position of a listener, and believer of a much respected religious leader.
Most of us have probably been in this position. Reflecting on this, lets think about this question. Was the message or the
message giver more important? Did we place large amounts of trust in this person we were listening to? Did we, or many of
those around us, respect the teacher so much that we idolized them? Trusting so much in what they taught, and being in awe
of their teachings so much, that we raised them to a god-like status?
No these teachers are not idols. But they are
being idolized. Imagine what The Almighty Yahweh thinks of this.
Worship, honor, respect, and reverance are what we
should be showing and giving the Eternal Creator. Giving these to men takes away from that which is due The Most High YHWH.
Points
to ponder in our walk with The Wonderful Mighty One of All Creation.
Shalom in YHWH's Precious name
http://exodus_20az.tripod.com/shalom/
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